Welcome to the April 2014 Edition of Cyber News,
an ad free,
spam free online magazine emanating from Stanley's
Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. In Cyber News we'll try to pass along
some useful tips and information about your computer, the Internet,
computer products, digital photography, other related topics, and some
stuff that's not related at all!

The most dangerous virus in computer
history is set to release on April 15th! Investigators are
doing their best to corral the suspects who authored this virus before it
spreads like
wildfire. Click
herefor full details on how you
can avoid this virus!

The last reminder: After the longest cycle of operating
systems, Windows XP is almost history. April 8th is the date
when Microsoft will no longer support XP. This doesn't mean that
your machine will stop working, it just means that after that date you
will no longer receive critical updates each month and of course that means your
computer will be vulnerable to security issues. So the bottom line
is you can continue after that date and take your chances or belly up to
the bar and purchase a new machine. The good news is prices have come way down.
If you purchase a new computer off the shelf it will have
Windows 8, but if you are demanding Windows 7 you can order one from
Dell or HP online. Your new desktop computer will include a
keyboard and mouse. New monitor is optional.

Before you decide on a desktop you
might consider other choices this time
around. If you're one of those who mainly surfs the web and
checks your email everyday, you may decide that a desktop is overkill. There are other options like a laptop or tablet. USA
Todayhave the details.

Microsoft may have ended Windows XP,
but their new CEO just announced "Office for the iPad." The
trend today seems to be that companies are offering their software on
line as a subscription service. Adobe announced this last year
with graphic products like Photoshop. Instead of making a one time
purchase for the product you now pay a monthly or yearly subscription
which didn't go over well with Adobe customers. Here's more about
"Office for iPad" from PC
World.

Speaking of Microsoft's Office,
which is the most recognized Office suite, the purchase price is rather
steep. The good news is there is an alternate FREE office suite
that includes a word processor, a spreadsheet and presentation
program. It's called "Open Office" and is compatible
with all your present documents. You can download
and install it here.
Just click on the first green arrow.

Here's a little quiz to see how smart
you are in the subject of science. Only 7% of the adult
population gets all 13 questions correct. See
how you stack up!

Browser toolbars are a pain in the
"you know what." You
would think that in 2014, we'd have put all the web shenanigans of the
1990s behind us, but you'd be wrong—at least for Windows users.
Download a desktop app like AVG, Skype, or even CCleaner and these
programs will try to sneak toolbars onto your system or change your
default home page. I have worked on customer's
computers who have had multiple toolbars and when asked why, they are clueless
on how they got them. Get rid of these monsters and here's
how to do it.

Laptop
keyboard not working? You're working on your laptop, and
all of a sudden, the "I" key stops responding, or a whole
section of your keyboard stops responding to keystrokes. Or, worse yet,
the keyboard cuts out entirely. While this can be a hassle, particularly
when you have work due, there are a few things you can try yourself to
get back to the job at hand.Fixit
tips from PC Magazine.

How to delete your Facebook
search history. Each
time you look for a friend, business, or personality on Facebook, it
gets saved to your search history. Supposedly, this makes it easier for
you to find what you were looking for later without much work.
Unfortunately, the search history might be cluttered with queries that
don't require quick access -- like someone you've already become friends
with, a brand you're already following. If you want to limit some
of the information Facebook is keeping about you, or just tidy up the
list, it's just a few clicks away. Here's how to do this from CNET.

Technology, in all forms, is advancing
faster than a speeding bullet! Pocket camera sales are
at an all time low because of smart phone cameras. Computer sales
are down because of tablets. Where are we going from here? As much
as we love our cell phones are they fading too? What's going to
take their place, are wearables next? Some
insights from CNN.I also
talk about technology in my latest Blog
post.

Imagine your house with absolutely no
wires. This technology is right around the corner, and it's called
Wireless Electricity or WiTricity. No electrical
outlets anywhere! Move a lamp anywhere and it will light. No there will be no electricity in the air, it will be done with
harmless magnetic fields. Watch a fascinating video and read about
this technology from CNN.

Where else are we going in
technology? Let's take a look at the coolest things coming
up in 2014.

I recently ordered a product from
Amazon and am so impressed that I will pass it along to you.
It's a gadget for everyone who uses products that need charging.
iPads, iPhones, Android phones, bluetooth devices, almost anything that
needs charging using a USB cord. The product is the Anker portable
charger. It can charge two devices at once and will charge an
iPhone 7 times without being recharged itself. I use it mostly
when we are camping to keep my Galaxy S4 charged because it's the camera
I use in the wilderness. I first purchased another brand at a
local store for $49 but it didn't have the monster capacity of the Anker,
so it was returned and ordered this one for the same price! Check
it out.

You have probably heard the term
"3D Printing," and wondered what this is all about.
The term has been around for a while but few people understand it.
Quite simply it's the ability to print anything in any material in three
dimension. Of course this won't happen with your common inkjet
printer, but with a much more complicated printer. How about
printing a human body part? Yes, this is going to happen.
Take a tour of this technology here.

Want to stop those nasty telemarketer
calls on your home phone or cell phone? We all hate those
calls as they are a pest and waste our time. The good news is you
can stop those calls by registering your number or numbers with with the
National "Do Not Call" registry. For a full explanation
of the do's and don'ts check out this article from Kim
Komando.

Some of you have watched different
"(Country's) Got Talent." When I watched this 9 year
old girl on "Holland's Got Talent" my mouth dropped to the
floor and yours will too! Watch.

And this one from "America's Got
Talent. This guy will truly amaze you as he did the
judges. It was his girlfriend's idea to put him on the show, and
how it ends will certainly pull your heart strings! Watch!

Photo
Tip of the Month: What is HDR? HDR stands for "High
Dynamic Range," and over the past couple of years it has become
very popular among certain photographers. With a DSLR it requires
taking several identical shots with different exposure settings, then
combining them in special software. Some photo editors will even
get a good HDR effect with just one photo. Most smart phones have
an HDR setting and you might be interested in trying this. More
from Corel, the makers of Paint Shop Pro.

Check out my personal Photo Site.You'll see over
1,700 pictures in 41 galleries taken from around the world. New photos were
added last month to several galleries and you might want to check out my
pictures from the romantic city of Venice,
Italy.

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"Live with Passion, in a Constant State of Joy, and with an
Attitude of Gratitude!"

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Secrets to Safe Computing: Read each point below and follow the advice as outlined.
Just a few minutes of work
each month will go a long way in keeping your computer running smoothly!

The contents of Cyber News may be copied, reproduced, or freely
distributed for all nonprofit purposes without the consent of the author
as long as the author's name and contact information are included.
Cyber News is a free service of Stanley Computing and is published each
month, originating from Stanley's Studio in Phoenix,
Arizona.

Disclaimer: The
information presented in Cyber News is researched and is believed to be
accurate. We cannot guarantee that all the information will work on your
particular combination of hardware, software and user skills. All
information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind.
Neither Stanley Computing nor its contributors are responsible for any loss,
injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from your choosing to use
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